Soccer: Crew keeper's play creates All-Star talk

6:36 a.m. EST, June 22, 2012|Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch

The last person to tell you to vote for Andy Gruenebaum as a Major League Soccer All-Star would be Gruenebaum himself.

In his first full season as the Crew's starting goalkeeper, Gruenebaum, 29, has steadily built a groundswell of support. Through 13 games, the Crew is fourth in the Eastern Conference in large part because of Gruenebaum's league-high 57 saves.

It has added up to perhaps the brightest spotlight to shine on Gruenebaum during his seven MLS seasons, all with the Crew.

"It's obviously an honor to hear everybody say nice things about you and to compliment the way you play, but at the same time, the way I see it is we're 13 games into my first real chance to be a permanent starter, and I haven't done anything in this league in my opinion," he said.

Gruenebaum entered the season as the presumed backup to William Hesmer, but microfracture surgery on Hesmer's hip ended his season before it began and handed the starting spot to Gruenebaum. In his first six seasons, Gruenebaum appeared in 26 MLS games with an 8-8-9 record as a starter, a goals-against average of 1.28 and six shutouts.

This season, he is allowing one goal per match and has five shutouts. Three have come during the team's current six-game unbeaten streak.

"Everyone is saying that he's playing out of his mind, but I don't think so," defender Julius James said. "If you pay attention in practice, you would see that all the amazing saves he's making (in games) happen right here on the field in practice. He's just doing what he does. He's an amazing goalkeeper and shot-stopper."

Gruenebaum is one of six Crew players to appear on the All-Star ballot and the most likely to be selected. The starters as voted by the fans will be announced on July 8, with the full roster as filled out by the coach announced a week later. The team will play Chelsea FC on July 25 in Philadelphia.

"I never had any doubt that he is as good as he is," coach Robert Warzycha said. "I have a lot of confidence in Andy, and I knew that he could do the job and play like this. I'm not surprised."

Midfielder Chris Birchall, who spent the past three seasons playing for Los Angeles, said Gruenebaum's name never came up when preparing for the Crew.

"That's the way of the league," Birchall said. "New players have a standout year, and Andy is doing that. He's taking his chance of coming in and now he's given the coach a real headache when Will comes back."

But for now, all Gruenebaum is thinking about is what this season might hold for the Crew.

"It's nice to play well and to hear those things, but until we have an MLS championship and I've played on it, it doesn't mean much," he said. "We won it in 2008 and it was great to be a part of it but part of me is just itching to get another one by playing in one. That's the only time I'll really, truly be satisfied.

"If you tell me I can be an all-star or we make the playoffs, I'm going to choose the playoffs because once you're there anything can happen."